Healing
by Halogen11
Summary: Sasuke has a conversation with Deidara in the mist.


Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. I didn't make any money from this story.

Author's Note: 'O-mizu' means water. Review and I'll be happy.

xXx

"OI! You there! Yes, you!" A loud drawl came from a ragged mass sitting under a tree. His voice had all of one person on that desolate lane to attract. The called, however, did not look around. "I mean you. The one with chicken-butt hair, un!" The person being referred to paused.

"You there," the Deidara continued, even as the person was looming in front of him. "Yes, you. I'm talking to you. Despite the throngs of people you didn't have to thread through, you still managed to step on my hand." Upon seeing his visitor's rather lifeless reaction, he chuckled and leaned back against his tree. "That wasn't nice, un." Sasuke moved his unamused gaze to the pathetic thing lying on the ground. There was a dirty, scarred hand with a ring clinging to its fourth finger for dear life. In expressing his remorse he dug the heel of his shoe into the mud. With the man's hand underneath it.

Crying out, Deidara was just short of hysteria. He managed to produce sound in gasps through his laughter. "You see that wasn't nice either. How dare you! Hands are pretty useless, yeah, especially in all this," his face contorted, "_water_ but mine are real _special_…" Sasuke, disgusted, relieved the man's bruised hand and began on his way. It had not been time wasted, no, certainly not… that male hag had insulted him. Deidara hiccupped.

Warily he regarded his hand, then thrust it into the icy trickling of rainwater flowing in a rivulet around the tree.

"Tha's why this _o-mizu_'s good, un, you can drown your sorrows in it!" the man made to erupt into laughter again, right before his face contorted into pain. "Oi! You there! Yes, you!" he refrained, holding his his dirt-spotted limb up to point at the departing figure. "No apology, un? You owe me one, you know. Come, come sit down. These smooth rocks they have here - they're nice."

Had it not been for the unsightly purple lines in patterns down his neck and the limp in his stride, Sasuke probably would not have sat down. Had it not been for the other man's reeking odour, he probably still wouldn't have sat a little closer than three metres away. The guy just wouldn't _shut up._

"So, enough about me, ne? What about you? Where you goin', un? You look like you going somewhere…important." For some reason, that last pause seemed to carry more meaning than the rest. As if the 'important' was a mockery. Deidara's eyes amused themselves with the traveller's odd white shirt and giant purple rope around his waist. He now leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, eyes deceptively alert. Sasuke insticnctively leaned backwards. "It's none of your business," he muttered. He brought a cupful of water up to his wounded neck.

More laughter. This time it had a wheeze to it. "What makes you think I care about your business, un?"

Deidara lifted his hand out of the water, drawing Sasuke's indifferent glance. From Sasuke's view it appeared to be quivering and spewing some thick, unnerving secretion. He rolled his eyes and stared back down the road. Even that hurt. He sighed, annoyed. If the geezer wanted to talk, let him talk. At the moment his legs wouldn't bid themselves to move.

"I want to tell you a story, un. Stories are nice. Don't worry, I'm sure your little… appointment can wait." Bursts of hissing laughter. "Well, here's my story. I had a friend once. A bad friend though, mind you. He was a bad friend because… because…" he paused to gulp from a bottle beside him, "he left me all alone to be bored."

"Don't worry, un. You entertained me. Go away now." Sasuke noticed he suddenly appeared sober. Deidara flashed his hand at him. "I'm tired now. We can skip the handshake, but thanks for visiting, ne?"

For the first time, Sasuke efforted a good look at the man. Clinging to his emaciated frame was a black cloak with faint red splotches on it. A lighter red when compared to his flushed face and the blood steadily oozing out of his hand. None of which was his problem. He rose to leave.

"Oi. Uchiha." Sasuke stopped once more, half-looking over his shoulder.

"You still haven't told me where you're going, un." The glazed look had gone from the man's eyes, as if he had only pretended to be drunk.

Sasuke proceeded ahead.

"Searching for big brother, eh?" Almost in a whisper, he added, "Miracles don't happen anymore." Deidara squelched his precious art with his hand. He began to form a puppet.

"Heal me, un."


End file.
